


Exceeds Expectations

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Improvements [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 10:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Gabriel's reaction and response to the outfit Marinette chose for Adrien to wear at the after-party.





	Exceeds Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> This is day 23 of my ML WIP-Completion project.
> 
> This idea came from a comment left by Constance_Truggle on part 3 of this series, and it was just too good to pass up.

It was late, and all Adrien wanted to do was go to bed, unfortunately his father had other ideas.

"Adrien," his father said, his voice sharp in the quiet of the mansion.

Adrien looked up and mentally slouched in response. He'd only **just** come in the front door, and there was his father at the top of the staircase, looming down at him in what had become his traditional we-are-having-a-conversation-whether-you-like-it-or-not mode. "Good evening father," he said, not bothering to mask the weariness in his voice.  He'd just worked a fourteen hour day, and he didn't care if his father didn't understand how exhausting runway was.

"We need to speak about this evening," his father said, clearly ignoring every cue Adrien sent him through body language and tone.  Or maybe he was oblivious. That seemed too charitable.

"Can we do this tomorrow?" Adrien asked.  "I'm beat."

Gabriel shook his head. "This should not take long." He turned on his heel and strode back to his office.

Adrien briefly considered ignoring the clear summons and letting his father see what it felt like to be ignored for a change, but knew he'd end up with some other unsavory job or task as a result.  Last time they fought, Adrien suddenly found himself added to multiple underwear campaigns. The photoshoots didn't bother him, since he had about as much physical modesty as an actual cat, but the uptick in rabid fan interactions was not worth the risk. They'd gotten more lewd, too, and that kind of grossed him out.

Plagg wriggled in his pocket, something he'd started doing when Adren was frustrated, and for reasons he couldn't understand, it calmed him.  So he was able to drag himself up the steps and into his father's office without letting the irritation get to him.

"You wished to see me, father?" Adrien declared as he crossed the threshold into his father's atelier. He'd taken to announcing his entrance this way in the past year, hoping to point out how rarely his father actually talked to him personally, and how it generally had to do with work.  When it had no obvious results, it went from an attempted notice to something bordering pure sass.

"I wish to discuss your presentation for this evening," Gabriel said, straightening up in his chair, and pushing aside the tablet he'd been focusing on despite the fact that he'd summoned Adrien not two minutes earlier.

"I see," Adrien said.  While he knew he could draw this out just to toy with his father, he was too tired for that to hold any amusement tonight, or rather this morning, as it was nearly three. "Let's just skip the niceties and get straight to the point where you tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize and get to bed," he suggested.

That prompted an unexpected reaction. Gabriel's eyes widened and he frowned. "I wasn't aware that you'd done anything wrong this evening. On the contrary, I was going to compliment you on your music selection and clothing choices."

Adrien stared at his father in disbelief.

"However," Gabriel continued, "if there's something you need to confess about your performance today that I was previously unaware of, by all means, feel free to do so."

Adrien scowled across the desk at his father. "Seriously?  I can't win with you." He shook his head. "You don't compliment **anyone** , least of all me.  I can't honestly recall the last time you told me you were proud of something I'd done, so you'll have to forgive me my assumption."  He paused to gather his thoughts from his exhaustion-muddled brain, speaking up before his father could respond. "I handled myself like a proper Agreste today. I performed my walks and poses as I have been trained to.  I was professional and represented Gabriel to the best of my ability."

Gabriel let out a huff. "You're getting emotional."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I need to go to bed.  Unless you want fatigue to be featured on my face in tomorrow's publicity piece."

"Fine." Gabriel glowered at him. "I will make this quick. Your work in the show was professional, as expected. Your performance at the after-party exceeded my expectations."

Adrien stared at his father in shock.  "Exceeded expectations?"

Gabriel nodded. "Your music selections added to the ambiance in a way that suggested adequate familiarity with the setting and it's needs. The music was neither too loud, quiet, lively, or dull, so it brightened the atmosphere."

Adrien managed to keep his mouth in check when he really wanted to sass off about how he'd spent his whole life both in this environment and playing piano, so of course he had the knowledge to pick the right music. Normally he was eager for any shred of positivity that could be interpreted as praise, but in the last few months, he'd grown weary of scrambling for such scraps.

"That wasn't the surprise, though," Gabriel admitted. He steepled his fingers in front of his chin. "Your apparel for the after-party could not have been better chosen had I done it myself."

"They were your designs," Adrien said, shrugging. He knew he'd been right in enlisting Marinette's help, but he'd merely hoped to avoid a scolding and hadn't anticipated praise.

"True," Gabriel agreed. "But they were not pieced together as I'd originally intended them, and the way that was handled enhanced your appearance while minimizing your temporary defects."

"It's called a growth spurt," Adrien grumbled. "You wanted me taller."

"Yes," Gabriel said with a sharp nod. "And while it's temporary, the transition is ungainly."

Adrien reminded himself, yet again, what Marinette had told him. She thought he was impossibly beautiful no matter what his father said.

"The only reason you didn't upstage the show-stoppers, is that your clothes were slightly older designs, still fresh and intriguing, but not flashy." Gabriel stood up. "The match-up was innovative, brilliant, and the fit was perfect."

Adrien nodded. "I would be happy to express your appreciation to Marinette for her assistance, then."

"Marinette?" Gabriel asked. "As in Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Adrien nodded. "She came over a few weeks ago and helped me pick my look for the after-party. She told me what needed replacing in a larger size and re-tailored everything to ensure a good fit."

* * *

"Hey Marinette," Adrien called, jogging to catch up to her on the sidewalk approaching the school.

"Welcome back Adrien." She smiled at him, and it brought him some unexpected happiness. "How did it all go?"

"Really well, actually." He was still a bit baffled by the odd three A.M. conversation with his father. "And honestly, I think a big part of it was because of you."

"Me?" She seemed genuinely surprised. "I hardly did a thing."

Adrien shook his head. "I was pretty nervous about the after-party," he admitted. "I knew the music would be fine, but… I was **really** unsure about the rest, and my father has been on my case about representing Gabriel in the right fashion." He grinned at his own pun.

Marinette scowled a little. "He needs to lighten up.  You're his son, not an employee or indentured servant.  And it's a design house not an empire."

He laughed, unaccountably struck by the irony of her words. "Honestly to hear him talk about it, I am the scion of a noble house, far more important than the common folk I surround myself with."  He snorted. "Anyway, your help with my suit made me feel a lot better, because even if he came down hard on me for failing to do my best, at least I had evidence that I'd gone out of my way and sought the best resources to fill the informational gap he'd left for me."

Now she looked angry, and that hadn't been his plan. "Adrien, you're making me worry.  More than I already did."

"Sorry, I'm not good with words, especially when I'm excited." He beamed at her. "He loved the outfit! He actually complimented it.  You made him regret not making me a headliner." He shrugged. "Though to be honest it was nice to have a break from that pressure." He was getting off track, dammit.  "Ugh. Let me start over." He took a deep breath and straightened up. "Thank you so much for helping me; it reduced my stress for the whole event, which allowed me to be at my best." He held out his arms and tilted his head before pulling her in for a hug.

"Okay, okay.  You're welcome."  Marinette giggled. "Now put me down."

"Oops." He hadn't realized he'd picked her up. "Still not used to being so much taller than you," he admitted, setting her back on her feet and letting go.

"I'm glad it went so well." She patted his upper arm. "And hearing this actually explains a few things."

Adrien thought for a moment, but spoke up when she didn't continue. "Explains what?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Nathalie stopped by yesterday with information on the internships that will be available at Gabriel this summer.  It was… awkward and seemed really out of the blue."

"That's… unexpected." While he liked the idea of working with Marinette, the thought of her working at Gabriel made the hair at the back of his neck stand up. He'd heard that it was a hard place to be an intern, and that the position generally involved fetching coffee and doing administrative stuff, with occasional on location gopher work.  "Didn't you already apply for summer internships?"

Marinette nodded. "And I've actually heard back on three of them, two yes and one no."

"So you're not going to apply for one at Gabriel?" he asked.

She patted his shoulder. "I'd love to work with you again, Adrien.  But I want nothing to do with your father."

Adrien grinned.  His father was so used to getting his way, this would come as quite a surprise. "I approve of your plan. I never get to work with interns anyway."

**Author's Note:**

> Planned to do this yesterday, but felt a bit bleh after too much wassail and tasty food at game night Saturday.
> 
> I still have 5 WIP pieces to write, and it's safe to say those won't get all finished today. Alas. But ideally this week yet.


End file.
